Chapter: 02
Chapter 1. How I Became the Villainess’s Contract Friend
The first time I realized that something was terribly unfair…
…was during a spring picnic where Seraphina was basking in everyone’s attention.
Huh?
I blinked in surprise.
A gentle spring breeze drifted through the air.
Lush green trees and brightly blooming flowers filled the landscape.
On tables covered with beautiful tablecloths sat colorful tea snacks and fragrant tea.
And in the middle of that picture-perfect scenery…
I was watching my fiancé and my closest friend flirt shamelessly with each other.
“Oh, Serah.”
My fiancé, Gregory Gusto, personally tucked several soft cushions behind Seraphina’s back.
…Those cushions looked suspiciously like he’d stolen them from other people’s seats.
Judging by the looks the other guests were sending this way, I wasn’t the only one who thought so.
“You’ve been sitting for a while. Aren’t you tired?”
Whether anyone else cared or not, Gregory’s sweet voice was reserved entirely for Seraphina.
Seraphina looked at him with wide, sparkling eyes.
Then—
“Ahaha! Thank you!”
Her cheerful laughter rang beneath the blue sky.
“Gregor, you’re always so kind!”
“…”
As I stared blankly at the two of them, an intense sense of discomfort suddenly washed over me.
Sure, we’d all been childhood friends.
But calling someone else’s fiancé by his nickname in front of everyone…
And my fiancé lovingly placing cushions behind another girl’s back while I watched…
Wasn’t this crossing the line?
Meanwhile, Gregory gazed at Seraphina dreamily.
“Serah, you like refreshing desserts, don’t you? Want to try this?”
He personally placed a slice of lemon cake in front of her.
For the record, I was perfectly capable of eating lemon cake too.
But Gregory only looked at Seraphina with honey-dripping eyes.
To him, I was practically invisible.
“Hey, Gregor.”
Seraphina fluttered her long eyelashes as she looked at Gregory.
“Sitting here like this reminds me of the old days.”
“It does. We used to go on outings like this when we were kids, remember?”
Excuse me.
I was there too.
Would you two mind not disappearing into your own little world?
“Remember when Lari fell into the pond?”
“That’s right. You even scarred your beautiful knee trying to save Larit…”
Gregory quickly chimed in before shooting me a reproachful glance.
“Larit, you’re only alive today because of Serah. You should always be grateful. Got it?”
“Y-Yeah.”
Instinctively, I lowered my eyes and shrank back.
It was strange.
My body reacted automatically.
Yet one question kept circling through my mind.
I’ve always acted so submissively around Seraphina and Gregory…
Is that really right?
Here’s what happened.
When we were children, the three of us were playing near a pond.
I fell into the water.
Seraphina held out a long stick and pulled me out.
While doing so, she slipped and injured her knee.
That left a small scar.
Well, now you’d have to look very closely to even notice it.
Still…
Because of that incident, I had always tried even harder to be good to Seraphina.
Both Seraphina and Gregory constantly reminded me,
“You owe your life to Seraphina.”
But here’s the thing.
The reason I fell into the pond in the first place…
…was because of Seraphina, wasn’t it?!
At the time, Seraphina had insisted over and over that she wanted a flower blooming near the pond.
Gregory had been too scared to go near the water, so he pushed me forward instead.
I was the one picking the flower for her when I fell in.
…And if they hadn’t even tried to save me in that situation…
Wouldn’t that have made them far worse human beings?
At that moment—
Crack.
It felt as though something deep inside me shattered.
Why have I only ever felt grateful toward Seraphina?
I frowned.
Until now, I’d only thought of her as the benefactor who had saved my life.
But now…
An overwhelming sense of wrongness swallowed me.
Why had I never once questioned such an absurd situation?
It was almost as if someone had forcibly drawn the boundaries of my thoughts.
Then—
Seraphina, who had been chatting happily with Gregory, glanced at me.
She smiled lazily and said,
“Lari, I think my shoelace came undone. Could you tie it for me?”
“…”
She didn’t even bother with a token,
“Sorry.”
Or,
“Would you mind?”
Honestly, she was already sitting down.
Couldn’t she simply bend over and check it herself?
And yet…
I obediently stood up and crouched before her.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
As if my body had already been programmed to do it.
At the same time—
I heard unmistakable laughter behind me.
“My goodness… Lady Ansi really has no pride at all, does she?”
The speaker’s voice trembled from trying to suppress her laughter.
“She’s the heir of House Ansi, yet she’s kneeling on the ground just to tie Lady Lopes’s shoelaces.”
Yeah.
I agreed.
I had no idea why I was doing this either.
“Does she have no awareness that she’s supposed to become the next head of her house?”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was Lady Lopes’s maid.”
The whispers criticizing my behavior quickly shifted toward my appearance.
“And that dreadful dress. What era is that even from?”
“And her hair! Why does she wear it hanging down like that? Can she even see what’s in front of her?”
“Well, that’s probably why Young Master Gusto only has eyes for Lady Lopes.”
“She can’t even keep hold of her own fiancé. Honestly, it’s pathetic.”
Those mocking voices were painfully familiar.
At the same time, Seraphina’s usual words flashed through my mind.
“Your features are plain, so darker-colored dresses suit you much better.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you wore your hair long? You’re so shy. If your hair covers your face, you won’t have to worry about people looking at you.”
“Jewelry? Hmm… Isn’t that a little too much for you? I think it’d look much better on me!”
One of the noblewomen burst into laughter.
“With Lady Ansi standing beside her, Lady Lopes’s beauty really shines even more, don’t you think?”
At that instant…
All the uneasiness I’d been feeling condensed into one overwhelming realization.
Why am I crouching here?
Why did I believe I had to please Seraphina no matter what?
Because I owed her my life?
No.
The truth struck me like lightning.
Because… this world is the novel I read in my previous life!
Beloved Seraphina
Just as the title proudly declared, Seraphina was the heroine of this world.
The story went something like this.
Seraphina was the daughter of a low-ranking noble family without even a territory.
With the help of her childhood friends, Larit and Gregory, she made her debut in high society.
Thanks to her extraordinary beauty and lovable personality, she quickly became adored by everyone she met.
Although she was occasionally harassed by the wicked villainess—the Duke’s daughter of House Claudius—
Seraphina never gave in.
Instead, she captured the hearts of both male leads.
By the way…
Gregory wasn’t one of those male leads.
Seraphina had very high standards.
There was no way she’d be interested in the second son of a count’s family who wouldn’t even inherit the title.
Oh, and as for who I was?
Seraphina’s childhood friend, Larit.
After Seraphina supposedly saved her life as a child,
Larit devoted herself entirely to her precious friend, even while secretly envying Seraphina’s ever-growing beauty.
She would gladly do anything for Seraphina.
She even took the villainess’s insults in Seraphina’s place.
She was slapped.
She had water thrown at her.
And through it all…
She smiled foolishly and said,
“Serah, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy too.”
A hopelessly frustrating character whose entire existence revolved around Seraphina’s happiness.
That Larit…
…was me.
